(323) 392-5123
The HTA grew out of the Hospitality Diversity Task Force, a panel of industry, community, and labor leaders founded to promote opportunities for African Americ...
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The HTA grew out of the Hospitality Diversity Task Force, a panel of industry, community, and labor leaders founded to promote opportunities for African American workers in Los Angeles’ top hotels and food service companies. in 2006, the task force quickly recognized that their work could not escape the broader context of the country’s deepening recession. As Los Angeles began to see record-high double-digit unemployment figures, experts noticed a bright light: nationally, tourism and hospitality remained a growth sector. From 2010 to 2011, hospitality employers added over 19,000 jobs in the Los Angeles area—more than any other sector, including previously top-ranked international trade. This growth was consistent with the national expansion in tourism and hospitality of 12.8% between 2002 to 2009, with records predicted for 2012 and 2013 in the metrics of room and occupancy rates in Los Angeles. Today, the partnership behind the HTA comprises hotel employers, labor, community colleges, workforce investments boards, non-profit organizations and other County and City agencies. Most critically, it includes hundreds of new and incumbent workers who have honed their skills and brought their drives to succeed into their workplaces, increasing guest satisfaction and making Los Angeles and Orange County a more competitive and attractive destination.